Damek Keep

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worldbuilding and story belong to the author.

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for reading.

Chapter 4

Alek walked through the dusty library
with Sarai following a pace behind him. Voices drifted through from the adjacent
reading room as Alek opened the door. Thedric, Master Healer from Vescant, sat
by the low-burning fire with Celina. Cool winter sunlight filtered across the
ornate rugs that surrounded the well-padded chairs in the reading room.

"How is she?" Alek asked.

Thedric turned to him, his black
deep-set eyes held an intensity that contrasted his aged features. "The
poison is gone and the wounds are healing."

"Sheís awake," added Celina.
She invited Alek to sit beside her on the long maroon couch closest to the fire.

Alek sat while Sarai remained standing
beside him, her fingers playing with the lace trim on her green skirt.

"That's good news," said
Alek. "What of her legs? Will she walk again?"

"Yes," said Thedric. "Your
sister will need time to re-work those muscles. A month-long fever has left
her weak." He scratched the top of his balding head with a brown hand.
"And who is this?" he asked, smiling at Sarai.

"This is the foreigner my son
spoke about," said Celina. "She speaks in Berati, but I can link mind
to mind with her."

Thedric peered at Sarai. "Shinaran
then."

"I suppose, but untrained,"
said Celina. "I was hoping you could test her abilities. Alek seems to
think she may be able to communicate with ethereals."

"Communication with spirits,"
Thedric mumbled. "Not my strongpoint, Celina. Have you tried the Clericís
Order in Atheron."

"Thatís what I suggested,"
said Alek. "Vasali came through that Order."

Celina shook her head. "No.
The Order in Atheron still canít account for why that cleric murdered a man."

"You test every child sent
to Vescant," said Celina. "I trust you can determine this womanís
abilities."

"Hmm. Sheís older than our
candidates, but letís see what we discover, eh?"

Thedric held out his hand. "Come,
child. Sit beside me here."

Alek saw Sarai hesitate. He took
her small dark hand in his and guided her to a seat by Thedric. "This doesnít
hurt, right?" he asked.

"No. So long as she cooperates,
itís nothing more than a standard probe to test for potentials," Thedric
explained. "Every shinaran child goes through this. Those with strong
abilities are sent to appropriate schools that specialize in their skill."

Thedric smiled warmly at Sarai as
he questioned Celina. "Has anyone besides you and Taryn linked with her
before?"

Celina looked to Alek, then back to Thedric. "No.
I didnít realize Taryn linked with her." †

"Your daughter rambled on about
some kind of dual vision when this girl was around. Did that happen to you?"

"No. Her mind feels strange,
but nothing like that."

Thedric shifted to the edge of his
chair. "Alright. Iíll try a light probe first, and then see where we go
from there." Thedric held out his hand, inviting Sarai to link with him.

After a moment, Sarai raised her
own small hand and placed it in his. Alek marveled at how dark her skin was,
even compared to Thedricís wrinkled brown hand. Minutes passed in silence. Thedric
and Saraiís eyes drifted shut while the testing continued. Alek opened his mouth
to speak but his mother hushed him. He gave up watching the silent pair after
a time and stared at the fire. Times like this he regretted he didnít share
the shinaran abilities of his mother and sister. For some reason it skipped
him entirely. Not that being shinaran was a blessing, but at least he
would understand what was going on now.

As silently as it began, the testing
ended. Thedric let go of Sarai, and she leaned back in her chair, her composure
quiet, thoughtful. Thedric scratched the top of his dark bald head.

"Well," said Alek, his
patience waning.

Thedric looked to Celina. "Iím
not sure what to say. If she is shinaran, sheís unlike anyone Iíve ever
met."

"Is she a cleric?" Alek
interrupted.

"No." Thedricís dark eyes
studied him. "Cleric is a training, not a base potential. But she doesnít
show any affinity for ethereals, if thatís what youíre asking."

"So what did you discover?"
asked Celina.

"Her telepathic skills are
extremely vivid. And she shows some basic potential with the elements, wind
and fire. With training she could be a skilled weather-worker. Definitely empathic
as well, possibly animal and human, and thatís quite rare."

Alek looked away. She had to be
a cleric. If she couldnít communicate with the dead, why would Vasali have sent
him for her?

"Her mind is very different,"
continued Thedric. "You said she came from Berat? We donít have much contact
with the northern tribes. If they have shinaran, they donít send them
to our schools for training."

"Then she could be a different
kind of shinaran," said Celina.

"True. She should be sent to
Vescant for training."

Alek stood. "No. Sarai stays
here with me."

"Alek, she could be dangerous
without training," said Celina. "Besides, you canít even talk to her,
what good is she around here?"

"Sheíll learn the language soon enough. And
Taryn can train her." Alek signaled for Sarai to join him as he made his
way to the door. "I spent two years searching for this woman. She stays
with me." †He led them out of the library, leaving Thedric and his mother
behind.

#

Alek sat atop his black and white
stallion, wearing a light tunic in the warm sun. It felt good to dress like
a provincial Lord again, even if he wasnít re-invested with that honor just
yet. He shaded his eyes against the morning sun.

Alek's foster-brother, Phelin, trotted
up beside Alek on an all black gelding. "Ready," he said.

"Where to?" asked Alek.
Glad as he was to have his foster-brother at his side again, this excursion
was Phelinís idea.

"Down past the breeding pastures
and around Atheron by the south?"

Alek urged his horse forward. "Sounds
good."

They rode at a walk around the Keepís
high stone walls. Guards and Atheron merchants hustled along the inner yard
as they passed by. They rode under the gatehouse that controlled the massive
iron gate opening to the south, and then Phelin led them down the gentle hill
that separated the Keep from Atheron. Alek looked back at the Keep as they rode.
The somber stonework building backed into a steep granite outcrop from the hills
behind. This provided a natural barrier to the Keepís northern exposure, a defensive
strategy from the days when Damek fought to create its current borders from
the neighboring provinces.

He stood in his stirrups as they
neared the breeding pastures. Only a few mares were accompanied by young foals.
"Has it been a bad breeding season?" he asked, waving Phelin forward
from behind him.

Phelin urged his horse to a trot
to ride beside Alek. "No, itís been a good year." His expression clouded
for a moment. "Weíve been weaning the foals at 4 months now. Theyíre down
by the west end of the Keep."

Alek frowned. "Seems young.
Tarynís idea?"

"No, mine. Your sister kept
out of the herd. One of the few things she recognized as beyond her abilities."

Alek heard the sarcasm in Phelinís
voice.

"If we accelerate their training,"
Phelin continued, "we can break them in and sell them in their second year."

"Yes, but it weakens them,
doesnít it? Sounds like youíre compromising the quality of the horse for quicker
money."

Phelin glared at Alek, his blue
eyes cold, but he said nothing. He dropped back behind Alek again as they rode
around the southern pastures and began their loop around Atheron. The city had
not changed in the two years since Alek left. Row upon row of narrow streets
remained clogged with carts and horses. Alek could just make out the stalls
lining the market district with children darting between merchants and buyers.
Further to the east, they passed the busy streets of the Guild Halls. The smell
of wood shavings mingled with the scent of burning coal from the blacksmith
forges.

Alek turned back to Phelin. "How
are the tax levies?"

"Less than they should be.
Taryn lowered them at the request of the Guild Hall. She felt our private herds
could compensate for the lower income."

Alek reined in his horse until he
rode beside Phelin. "Look, when I left, I didnít think theyíd bring in
Taryn."

Phelin eyed him coldly. "What
did you think, then? Or did you think at all?"

Alek smirked. "I deserved that,
I suppose." He put a hand on Phelinís arm. "But what I did, it was
important, something that I had to do."

They were quiet again for a time
as the trail looped north of the town. A cool wind with a hint of autumn to
come, brought the savory smell of grilled meat from an inn theyíd passed. Alekís
stomach reminded him of the approaching noon hour.

"Is this a pleasure ride, or
did you have a motive for our jaunt this morning?" he asked, weighing his
hunger against Phelinís unusual request for a ride. Phelin remained silent for
a time. Alek felt the uncomfortable distance that had grown between them since
his return. Some cloud hung over his foster-brother.

"A lot has happened since you
left," said Phelin.

"I suppose. But Iíve been working
with the landowners and tradefolk again, so things will get back to normal."

He felt Phelinís intense gaze as
his foster-brother continued. "Why havenít you convened the council yet?"

"Tarynís only just awoken.
She has to call the council to return Damek to me."

"It should never have been
hers to begin with," Phelin growled. He leaned over to Alek. "Take
it back. Call in the councilors now and take Damek back."

Alek felt a wave of disgust at Phelinís
suggestion. "Why bother," he said at last. "Sheís recovering
now and within the week will convey the council on her own."

"And you lack respect, cousin,"
Alek replied, reminding Phelin of his relative position in the family.

Phelinís back stiffened as his face
shifted away from Alek. "Apologies, my Lord." He slowed his mount
to follow behind Alek again. Alekís mind wrestled with his foster-brotherís
words. He'd missed something important based on Phelinís reactions, but he didnít
know what.

#

Taryn fought against her growing
consciousness, fearing a return of the pain that burned through her body whenever
her mind rose from her fevered sleep. Light filtered past her closed eyelids,
and she tensed, waiting for her head to pound in beat with her pulse.

Nothing happened. Slowly the fog
in her mind lifted and she remembered. Sheíd been fully awake before. Thedric
had been by her side then, her old mentor and Master Healer at Vescant Hall.
His dark face had seemed drained when she saw him. She rolled on her side, still
not believing the pain which had racked her body was finally gone. What had
Thedric said? Sheíd been sick for over a month? As she shifted further in her
bed she felt a dull throbbing in her leg. Her eyes still firmly closed, she
reached down and traced her fingers along the tender scars on her thigh.

Taryn remembered part of her talk
with Thedric the day before. At least she thought it had only been a day. She
had no real sense of time just yet. He told her sheíd walk again. She focused
on this as the throbbing in her leg subsided. She remembered the wolf attack,
but not much else. Alek had been there and his companion, Sarai? She remembered
that dual vision when Sarai calmed her horse after the attack.

She opened her eyes. She craved
water. Looking around her bedroom she saw someone had drawn the drapes, letting
in a meager light from the cloudy day. The creak of a door caught her attention.
She turned to see Adele's grand-neice, Katarine, from the house staff come in.
She was a short, round girl with barely managed red hair and a spattering of
freckles across her rosy cheeks. Her full figure would certainly turn plump
with childbirth when she married. Taryn tried to ask for water, but all that
came out was a deep croak from her dry throat. Katarineís wide-eyed stare melted
into a warm smile as she padded over to the bedside.

"Youíre awake?" she asked
in her thick country accent.

Taryn nodded, licking her parched
lips.

"Itís a cool drink you want,"
said Katarine as she leaned over to the bedside table and poured water into
a plain pewter mug. She sat on the edge of Tarynís bed and lifted her with one
able arm as she held the mug to Tarynís lips with the other.

Taryn gulped the water too quickly.
She coughed, spraying the bed sheet with droplets.

"Slowly now," Katarine
coaxed.

Taryn let the water trickle down
her throat, easing the dryness. The cool wetness restored her ability to speak.
"Thank you," she said as Katarine lowered her back to the pillow.

Katarine pulled the covers up around
Tarynís chin. "You gave us quite the scare," she clucked.

Taryn had to smile. The girl must
be six years her junior yet she fussed like any mother hen.

"Well," said Katarine,
taking a step back. "If youíre up for a visit, Iím certain youíre mother
will want to see you."

Taryn nodded her assent. "And
can you bring back some food?"

Katarine grinned, her crooked front
teeth marring an otherwise pretty face. "An appetite! As sure a sign as
any that youíre on the mend." She gave a half curtsy, and then bustled
out of the room. Taryn must have drifted off as it seemed an instant later that
her mother was in the room. A delicious meaty scent filled the air. Taryn turned
to see a steaming bowl already on her bedside table, along with a chunk of bread.

"Is it stew?" she asked
as she squirmed to see the bowlís contents.

"No, only beef broth."
Celina pulled up a chair beside the bed. She helped Taryn get into a semi-raised
position using multiple pillows, then moved a flat wooden tray onto Tarynís
lap with the bread and soup bowl. Taryn lifted a spoonful of soup to her lips,
trying to ignore how her hand trembled with the effort. Sheíd never truly been
sick or injured before. If this was any indication of the recovery process,
she knew she wasnít going to like it much. As she dipped bread into the broth
and ate, her mother informed her of the events in the Keep and Atheron of late.

"So," mumbled Taryn over
a bite of bread, "Alek hasnít called the council yet?"

Celina frowned. "Well he couldnít,
not legally anyway. You are the councilís selected ruler in Damek so only you
can convene the council."

Taryn leaned back on her pillows,
her stomach full from the light broth and bread. She wanted to sleep, but knew
she couldnít.

"So, is there any reason I
shouldnít call the council now?" She watched her mother carefully.

"You mean is there anything
wrong with your brother? No. He refuses to explain why he left, but beyond that
heís been fine. Quite patient really, considering your illness and his lack
of status in Damek right now."

Tarynís eyes drifted shut a moment.
For over a year, she had hoped and prayed for this day, when she could discard
her duty to Damek and return to her studies. Now that it was upon her, she felt
both relieved and saddened. She would miss being in the Keep. Not the politics
and bureaucracy inherent in running a province, but the ability to accomplish
something in spite of all that, to make a difference. Would she be happy going
back to a scholarly life?

Taryn opened her eyes. It was not
the time for such thoughts. "Call in the councilors, Mother. Let them witness
my promise to Alek. Damek is his by right."

Celina nodded. "Good. Thedric
wants to see you before he goes back to Vescant. I asked him to wait while we
settled this matter first. Iíll go get him."

Celina rose and swept out of the
room, her midnight blue gown creating a slight breeze in the otherwise still
room. Taryn waited for Thedric, fighting the urge, the need to just sleep again.
The door opened once more, and Celina led Thedric into the room. His forest
green robes, symbolic of his status as Master Healer, hung from his stooped
shoulders as he approached. He looked in better health today than he had when
Taryn first awoke. She wondered how much effort he expended in healing her from
the demon-wolfís poison.

Thedric stood at the foot of her
bed, propriety requiring that he get no closer. He clapped his gnarled hands
together. "Well, well. Finally on the mend. You really were a difficult
one, you know."

Taryn grinned. "That bad?"

"Oh worse, worse," teased
Thedric. "But done is done and the poisonís gone. Youíll have to keep off
that leg for a while."

"How long?" she asked.

"Best to take it slowly, give
yourself until the winter before you come back to Vescant."

Taryn grimaced. Months of idle time?

Thedric chuckled at her obvious
discomfort. "Not to worry, child. Your brother has a most interesting task
to keep you busy in the meanwhile, hasnít he, Celina?"

Tarynís frown mimicked her motherís.
"What task is that?"

"Alek wants you to train that
girl he brought back, Sarai," said Celina, her tone conveying her disapproval.

"Me?" asked Taryn, her
eyes widening. "But I can barely be in her presence without getting a throbbing
headache or worse." Taryn remembered the dual vision. She did not want
to experience that again.

"I believe you," said
Thedric. "Iím just not sure what to make of it."

"Then why not take her with
you? Vescant is better equipped to handle her than I am."

Thedric shrugged. "Alek has
different ideas. Perhaps heíll change his mind in time, but for now he insists
that she stay in the Keep."

Anger drove away Tarynís thoughts
of sleep. "Thatís ridiculous. What right does he have to keep her here
if she wants to go to Vescant."

Celina interrupted, "You assume
she wants to leave. I donít think she does. Why would she? Your brother keeps
her in fine gowns and sets her up in the guest quarters down the hall. For a
former slave, this must seem like paradise."

"Anyway," said Thedric.
"The girl will do well enough under your tutelage for now, Taryn. As I
said, I tested her already."

"What potentials did you find?"
she asked, her scholarís interest taking over.

"She's a very vivid telepath.
I canít tell if she can force a link through trained barriers like an Interrogator
does, but I wouldnít be surprised." Thedricís eyes narrowed. "If you
discover she can, then she must be sent to Vescant, with or without Alekís approval.
Someone with that ability has to be trained for both the base potential and
the moral responsibilities that come with it."

Taryn nodded. Her mind flashed with
a remnant of her Vision, a small dark woman surrounded by death, so frightening
and so like Sarai. She pushed the thought away. "Anything else?"

"Enough of that, I want to
talk to you about the wolves that attacked you." Thedricís eyes studied
her as he waited for her answer.

"Nothing unusual about them
that I noticed, but then I was fleeing for my life. There might have been four
or more, gray mountain wolves. Alek killed a few I think, you should ask him."

"I already have. What I donít
understand is the reaction you had to the claw marks. The poison in your body
nearly won out, you know."

Taryn paled. She hadnít really thought
about how sick she had been. "Weíve had other problems with poisonous creatures."

"Such as?"

Taryn looked to her mother again,
then back to Thedric. "Weíve tracked a few. One escaped into the Velek
Forest but not before revealing a thick black blood that burned like acid."

Thedric scratched his head. "Anything
else?"

"Our guards killed another.
A beast in the shape of a man, but when I went to retrieve the body, it was
gone."

"Grave robbers?"

"I donít think so. The characteristics
matched that of a Cerrol demon." Taryn watched Thedricís expression for
signs of disbelief. He stroked the stubble on his chin for a moment.

"How sure are you of this?"
he asked.

"I know the first creature
had some shinaran abilities. It used a mental attack on me. As for the
Cerrol demon, I didnít see it myself, except the empty grave." Taryn expected
Thedric to dismiss her ideas as far fetched.

Thedric turned to her. "The
other reply came from the Seerís Order in Westeron. They say a darkness comes.
Something evil."

Celina snorted. "Thatís it?
Nothing specific? No guidance?"

"I know your thoughts on Seers,
Celina. But it is an unpredictable skill at best."

Taryn shivered, remembering her
own contact with a Revenant. Celina caught her movement and misinterpreted it.

"We should go," said Celina
as she pushed back her chair. "Taryn needs rest."

"Of course," said Thedric.
"Keep well, child. We hope to see you back at Vescant by spring."

"Yes, thank you." Tarynís
mind whirled from the news Thedric had given her. She spoke as Thedric and Celina
stood at her doorway. "Will you keep us informed? If you learn anything
else about these demons?"

Thedric nodded. "And you as
well?"

"Yes. Safe journey."

The room grew quiet enough for Taryn
to hear her own exhausted breathing. She slid down the pillows, aware again
of her own weakness. Sleep settled her confused thoughts.